MOTORISTS may be fined up to £20,000 for making this one simple mistake when travelling with their pets during heatwave weather conditions.

WARM weather is predicted to bathe the UK today and over the rest of the bank holiday weekend as a spring heatwave continues. Temperatures soared as high as 30 celsius yesterday as the UK enjoyed the hottest day of the year so far with the warm weather set to continue over the next free days. However, motorists may be issued the heaviest fine of their life by making a simple mistake during the warm conditions.

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The experts say vehicle temperatures can more than double and even a mildly warm day of 22 degrees celsius can feel like 47 for animals stuck inside a car.

A statement on the RSPCA website said: “Never leave your dog alone in a car on a warm day. If you see a dog in distress in a hot car, dial 999.

“Many people still believe that it's ok to leave a dog in a car on a warm day if the windows are left open or they're parked in the shade, but the truth is, it's still a very dangerous situation for the dog.

“A car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn't feel that warm. When it's 22 degrees, in a car it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within the hour.”